Car-coupling



(No Model.)

D. W. GLIDDEN.

GAR GOUPLING. No. 265,058. Patented Sept. 26, 1882.

n UNiTE DAVID VVGLIDDIIN, OF MONTROSE, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part ci'` Letters Patent'No. 265,058, datedSeptember 26, 1882. Application filed Januaryllll, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, DAVID W. GLIDDEN, acitizen of the United States,residing athlontrose, in the county ofSusquehanna and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Gar-Couplers 5 and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full,

clear, and exact description ot my invention,

such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichv it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to that class ot' carcouplers having a movablehook or jaw within the draw-bar to engage a coupling link 4or bar.

Heretofore car-couplers of this class have chiefly been designed for usewith a speciallyconstructed link, usually the spear head 7 link, andhave been usually composed of either a pair of spring-actuated hookedjaws, which grasped the head of the link between them, or a singlebarthe hook of which was normally held in contact with a solid abutment.The change in the forms of links presents disadvantages, owing to thefact that the specially-ccnstructed links cannot be used in couplingwith cars the draw-bars of which have not been converted, and thelinksof the old form are not always at hand when needed.

The object ot' this invention is a coupling device so constructed as tobe readily applied to the usual freight-car draw-bar, said couplingdevice being adapted to be used with coupling-links of ordinaryconstruction.

To this end the invention consists in pivoting within the ordinarydraw-bar a pair of spring-actuated jaws, one of which is provided with ahook.

It further consists in a device carried by one ot' the jaws, by whichthe coupling -link is thrown off' the hook of the otherjaw in coupling.

It further consists in the combination of these and minor co-operatin gparts, which will be fully described in the ensuing specification.

In order that my invention maybe so clearly understood by those skilledin the art to which it 'appertains as to enable them to practice thesame, I will'nowproceed to describe the construction and operation of myautomatic coupdraw-bars provided with my improved auto matic couplingdevice. Fig. 2 is a plan of one ot' the draw-bars, the top plate beingremoved to show the jaws forming a draw-hook and guard, also exhibitingin detached View Vthe position of these parts when holding and releasingalink. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are details, respectively, ot' the spring, theguard, and the draw-hook. Figs. 6 and 7 represent couplinglinks.

The same letters of reference indicate like parts inall the figures.

j Between the top and bottom plates, and near the inner end of theordinary draw-bar, A, are pivoted by means of a bolt, ce, two jaws, Band C. The outer ends of these jaws are reversely beveled to form aV-shaped notch between them, and the jaw B is provided at its inner facewith a C-shaped recess or hook, B', as shown, of sufficient depth toreceive and hold any ordinary coupling-link.

Pivoted to the draw-hook B is an elbow-lever, the short arm b of which,`upon moving the long arm b rearwardly, bears against the inner face ofthe guard C and move-s the outer `ends of the guard and draw-hookasunder, so

that a link, E, may be placed in or withdrawn from the hook. The shortarm b may be so formed that upon moving the jaws apart a suflcientdistance to receive a link between them the parts will be locked in thatposition until released by again moving the long arm of the leverforward. v

To prevent the link E from hanging in the hook B when the guard G anddraw-hook B are moved asunder in uncoupling, a curved clearing-finger,G, is secured to or formed on the inner face of the guard, which lingersweeps across the hook or recess B,thus clearing the link from saidhook. The adjacent faces of the jaws forming the draw-hook and guard areheld normally in close contact with each other by means of a stout Ushaped spring, D, the respective legs of which bear upon the outer facesof said jaws. This spring vI) is firmly secured within the draw-bar A bymeans of the draw-bar bolt A', as shown. The draw-hook and guard are ofequal length, their free outer ends terminating a little to the rear ofthe draw-bar face-plate, so as to move freely behind the same incoupling` and uncoupling, and the V-shaped notch formed by beveling IOOthe ends of thejaws is of such depth as to permit a coupling-pin to passthrough the pinholes a in the top and bottom plates of the draw-bar, soas to permit otthe use of the ordinary coupling links and pins. The longarm b of the elbow-lever may be operated by means of a lever or chainleading to any convenient point; or said arm might bc of sufficientlength to be operated by hand at the side of theicar'.

Though the coupling-links in ordinary use may be used with my automaticcouplers, I prefer to modify their form by bending their longitudinalbars e inward, so that they will be close together at the middle of thelink and leave a loop at each end thereof, as fully shown in Fig. 7. Byusing links ofthis form considerable vertical and horizontal play isgiven the respective draw-bars with relation to each other.

Many Vchanges might bemade in the minor details of constructionheretofore stated to suit the views of manufacturers or users-as, forinstance, instead of employing aU -shaped spring, any other suitablespring might be used to keep the guard in contact with the drawhook;also, instead of using the elbow-lever for moving the jaws asunder, adouble cam iixed to a suitable spindle might be seated between saidjaws. But these or similar changes I would deem but mere modificationsof my invention.

Having thus described my invention7 what I claim is- 1. The combination,substantially as before set forth, of the draw-bar, the movable jawspivoted therein by a single bolt, (the inner face ofone of said jaws-thedraw-hook--bein g provided with a hooked projection, and the inner faceof the other-the guardbeing plainsurfaced,) and the spring for holdingthe free ends of said jaws in contact.

2. The combination of the draw-head, the draw-hook, the guard providedwith a clearing-finger, and the spring, all constructed and arrangedsubstantially as hereinbefore set forth.

3. The combination of thedraW-bar, the draw-hook and guard pivotedtherein, the spring for holding the free ends of the drawhook and guardin contact, and means, substantially as before set forth, for moving they draw-hook and guardasunder.

4. The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the drawbar,draw -h0ok,` the guard, the spring for holding the guard in coni tactwith the hook, and theelbowdever pivoted to the draw-hook.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.Y

. DAVID W; GLIDDEN.

Witnesses:

Z. J. DAVIS, F. D. SUMMERS.

